Military discounts for trucks and SUVs can be pretty huge.

The pay is more than you think and the benefits off-set expenses

Our family take home pay after taxes and TSP is $20K/month. One military and one civilian with similar take home pay.

We have lower expenses with miitary benefits
- subsidized day care (only $500/kid when we used it)
- student loan forgiveness ($100K of student loans forgiven)
- Defined benefit retirement with no employee contribution (will be about $90K/year)
-GI Bill transfer to dependants for college expenses and instate tuition

We drive nicer cars, but so not pay private school tuition - opted for the expensive house in a good school cluster

Guarantee there is some family money involved. Lots of officers + their kids wives come from UMC families.

Also, lots of officer spouses are lawyers, work in finance, etc. So could easily have $500-600K HHI

Op checking back in. FWIW the three families I am referring to have 2, 3 and 3 kids respectively, and the parents are around 40yrs old. So I assume they are higher ranking officers with years of military experience. One sometimes comes to school in what appears to be a flight suit type uniform.

One has a spouse that is a teacher, another has a HR type role for a Fed agency, the third I have no idea. I genuinely have no clue what officers make, I clearly don't know their family or personal financial situation. And those details are none of my business. It just surprised me to see the only military parents in my kids classes all driving such expensive vehicles. I didn't know if they got free or subsidized housing, which would be huge. Or that maybe officer can make more than I would have guessed. The only ~$40yo parents (not young people or singles) we know with multiple kids that drive $100K cars are lawyers or doctors So our perspective is clearly bias.

Anonymous wrote:If the husband and wife are both serving they each get a tax free housing allowance, or at least it used to be that way. Military is the only job someone can have for three years in their early 20’s that’ll pay them $2000+ a month in “disability” payments for the rest of their lives and still allow them to work extremely physical, difficult jobs despite their disability. Quotes due to knowing many people taking advantage of this- a toothache? Disability. Headaches sometimes? Disability. Lots and lots and lots of perks these days being in the military.

What perks?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Running joke in military circles actually. Many, many have cars above means.

Also, veterans get preferences for fed jobs. So what they typically do is get a fed job after leaving the military. Once their clearance is processed and they start their new job, they will talk to other vets who are collecting 40k/yr in disability. And they will inevitably apply for disability due to their "PTSD" despite never having seen a second of actual combat.

It’s very hard to get disability pay except if you caught in war and if they did they deserve it. It’s not easy getting a fed job and most don’t have the kind of clearance needed.

My spouses military pension is less than $1k a month. Officers do well.

It actually is very easy to get a federal job if you're a veteran, just ask anyone who works in fed HR. And you don't need a clearance either, as the clearance/background investigation is part of the hiring process.

The scam is that you get the job with the TS clearance first, and then you claim disability benefits through the military. And no, you don't have to be engaged in combat operations. I've seen this play out over a dozen times with co-workers, so yes, it happens alot.

No, its not.

They often have no housing costs, so can blow $1k a month on a ridiculous car.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Running joke in military circles actually. Many, many have cars above means.

Also, veterans get preferences for fed jobs. So what they typically do is get a fed job after leaving the military. Once their clearance is processed and they start their new job, they will talk to other vets who are collecting 40k/yr in disability. And they will inevitably apply for disability due to their "PTSD" despite never having seen a second of actual combat.

Ok there, Skippy.

Carrying around a lot of weird baggage about veterans… none of which was even remotely relevant to the thread.

Good job, good effort.

They pay for the Raptor with disability payments. Do you now understand meathead?

If the husband and wife are both serving they each get a tax free housing allowance, or at least it used to be that way. Military is the only job someone can have for three years in their early 20’s that’ll pay them $2000+ a month in “disability” payments for the rest of their lives and still allow them to work extremely physical, difficult jobs despite their disability. Quotes due to knowing many people taking advantage of this- a toothache? Disability. Headaches sometimes? Disability. Lots and lots and lots of perks these days being in the military.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Running joke in military circles actually. Many, many have cars above means.

Also, veterans get preferences for fed jobs. So what they typically do is get a fed job after leaving the military. Once their clearance is processed and they start their new job, they will talk to other vets who are collecting 40k/yr in disability. And they will inevitably apply for disability due to their "PTSD" despite never having seen a second of actual combat.

It’s very hard to get disability pay except if you caught in war and if they did they deserve it. It’s not easy getting a fed job and most don’t have the kind of clearance needed.

My spouses military pension is less than $1k a month. Officers do well.

It actually is very easy to get a federal job if you're a veteran, just ask anyone who works in fed HR. And you don't need a clearance either, as the clearance/background investigation is part of the hiring process.

The scam is that you get the job with the TS clearance first, and then you claim disability benefits through the military. And no, you don't have to be engaged in combat operations. I've seen this play out over a dozen times with co-workers, so yes, it happens alot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family money
Spouse has a high income

Also, many active military claim residence in FL and the like, and pay no property taxes

This but officers can make good money. They get a lot for a housing allowance on top of pay.

They also have far less expenses, too, in general. Besides housing, they typically will not spend as much on medical, state income tax, college savings (GI bill plus in-state in their state of residence), retirement, and a whole lot more.

This is, of course, even more true for dual-military families, especially dual-officer.

Also no educational debt.

Not everyone got a gi bill. My spouse did not. He had a fist share for him only. The pay was terrible. I spend more on medical with tricare as doctors suck and no one wants to take tricare.

Cost share. Retirement is under $1k. After the annuity and medical and taxes it’s a few hundred.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family money
Spouse has a high income

Also, many active military claim residence in FL and the like, and pay no property taxes

This but officers can make good money. They get a lot for a housing allowance on top of pay.

They also have far less expenses, too, in general. Besides housing, they typically will not spend as much on medical, state income tax, college savings (GI bill plus in-state in their state of residence), retirement, and a whole lot more.

This is, of course, even more true for dual-military families, especially dual-officer.

Also no educational debt.

Not everyone got a gi bill. My spouse did not. He had a fist share for him only. The pay was terrible. I spend more on medical with tricare as doctors suck and no one wants to take tricare.

That has nothing to do with the thread.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family money
Spouse has a high income

Also, many active military claim residence in FL and the like, and pay no property taxes

This but officers can make good money. They get a lot for a housing allowance on top of pay.

They also have far less expenses, too, in general. Besides housing, they typically will not spend as much on medical, state income tax, college savings (GI bill plus in-state in their state of residence), retirement, and a whole lot more.

This is, of course, even more true for dual-military families, especially dual-officer.

Also no educational debt.

Not everyone got a gi bill. My spouse did not. He had a fist share for him only. The pay was terrible. I spend more on medical with tricare as doctors suck and no one wants to take tricare.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Running joke in military circles actually. Many, many have cars above means.

Also, veterans get preferences for fed jobs. So what they typically do is get a fed job after leaving the military. Once their clearance is processed and they start their new job, they will talk to other vets who are collecting 40k/yr in disability. And they will inevitably apply for disability due to their "PTSD" despite never having seen a second of actual combat.

It’s very hard to get disability pay except if you caught in war and if they did they deserve it. It’s not easy getting a fed job and most don’t have the kind of clearance needed.

My spouses military pension is less than $1k a month. Officers do well.

If you were in a combat arm, it is very easy to get disability. Getting out without back, neck, or knee issues is rare

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family money
Spouse has a high income

Also, many active military claim residence in FL and the like, and pay no property taxes

This but officers can make good money. They get a lot for a housing allowance on top of pay.

They also have far less expenses, too, in general. Besides housing, they typically will not spend as much on medical, state income tax, college savings (GI bill plus in-state in their state of residence), retirement, and a whole lot more.

This is, of course, even more true for dual-military families, especially dual-officer.

Also no educational debt.